STAND. COM. REP. NO.  98

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2007

 

RE:   H.B. No. 704

      H.D. 1

 

 

 

 

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2007

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Energy & Environmental Protection, to which was referred H.B. No. 704 entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO GENETICALLY MODIFIED ORGANISMS,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this bill is to protect the agriculture sector in Hawaii, the State's precious native ecosystems, and the biodiversity of Hawaii's sensitive island environment from the potential and unforeseen effects of testing or cultivating genetically modified coffee and taro in the State.

 

     Specifically, this bill imposes a ten-year moratorium on testing, propagating, cultivating, raising, and growing of genetically modified coffee and taro in the State.  This bill also defines the terms "genetically modified" and "recombinant DNA technology".

 

     Your Committee finds that the use of genetically modified taro is assumed to benefit taro farmers and the taro growing industry in the State.  However, your Committee further finds that many taro farmers do not agree with this assumption and have not requested assistance or sought solutions to maintaining or improving taro crops using methods involving genetically modified taro.

 

     Rather than expending scarce resources on the testing of genetically modified taro and its cultivation, your Committee believes that it would be more appropriate for those resources to be used for research, study of invasive species, and soil management that will more effectively help to strengthen the taro growing industry in Hawaii.

 

     Finally, your Committee finds that the issue of genetically modified coffee will be addressed separately in another measure.

 

     Accordingly, your Committee has amended this bill by:

 

(1)  Adding language to further clarify the purpose of this bill;

 

(2)  Deleting genetically modified coffee from the ten-year moratorium; and

 

(3)  Making technical nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and style.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Energy & Environmental Protection that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 704, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 704, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Agriculture.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Energy & Environmental Protection,

 

 

 

 

____________________________

HERMINA MORITA, Chair